Progress before Birth: Prenatal Development

Question 1

Development begins with conception

zygote

Answer 1

conception occurs when fertilization creates a zygote, a one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg.

Question 2

The prenatal period

Answer 2

extends from conception to birth, usually encompassing nine months of pregnancy –> development during the prenatal period is remarkably rapid–> in the final weeks before birth, the frenzied pace of prenatal development tapers off dramatically.

Question 3

Teh course of prenatal development

Answer 3

3 phases:

the germinal state, the embryonic state, and the fetal stage.

Question 4

The germinal stage

Answer 4

is teh first phse of prenatal devleopment, encompassing the first two weeks after conception.

Implantation (cell mass into the uterine wall)

during the implantation process, the placenta begins to form

Question 5

The placenta

Answer 5

is a structure that allows oxygen and nutrients to pass into the fetus from the mother’s bloodstream, and bodily wastes to pass out to the mother.

Question 6

Embryonic Stage

Answer 6

is the second stage of prenatal development,, last from two weeks until the end of the second month.

– formation of vital organs and systems

Question 7

fetal stage

Answer 7

is the third stage of prenatal development , lasting from two moths through birth

• -bodily growth continues, movement capability begins, brain cells multiply
• -age of viability (age that the fetus is able to survive outside the womb, over the years we have been able to detect it earlier and earlier) Development is so rapid and so crucial

Question 8

Age of viability

Answer 8

the age at which a baby can survive in the even of a premature birth.

Question 9

Environmental Factors and Prenatal Development

Answer 9

because the developing organism and its mother are linked through the placenta, a mother’s eating habits, drug use, and physical health, among other things, can affect prenatal development and have long-term health consequences.

Question 10

Teratogens

Answer 10

are any external agents, such as drugs or viruses, that can harm an embryo or fetus.

Question 11

Maternal Drug use

Answer 11

most drugs consumed by a pregnant woman can pass through the membranes of the placenta–> exposure is associated with a variety of physical and cognitive effects
The impact of drugs on the embryo or fetus varies greatly depending on the drug, the does, and the phase of prenatal development.

Question 12

Fetal alcohol syndrome

Answer 12

is a collection of congenital (inborn)problems associated with excessive alcohol use during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most common known cause of intellectual disability, and it is related to an increase incidence of difficulties n school, depression, suicide, drug problems, and criminal behaviour in adolescence and adulthood.

Question 13

Prenatal Smokng

Answer 13

appears to increase a mother’s risk for miscarriage, stillbirth, and prematurity, and new borns’ risk for sudden to infant death syndrome. Prenatal exposure to tobacco is also associated with slower than average cognitive development, attention deficits, hyperactivity, and conduct problems, although it is difficult to tease out the causal relationships that may be at work.

Question 14

Maternal Illness and Exposure to Toxins

Answer 14

the fetus is largely defenceless against infections because its immune system matures relatively late in the prenatal period. The placenta screens out a number of infectious agents but not all.

Genital herpes and AIDS are two very deadly diseases that pregnant women can also transmit to their offspring. (others are rubella, syphilis, mumps, severe influenza)

preventions if pregnant women receives adequate care and guidance form health professionals.

Question 15

Maternal Nutrition and Emotions

Answer 15

the developing fetus needs a variety of essential nutrients. Thus, it’s not surprising that severe maternal malnutrition increases the risk of birth complications and neurological defects for the newborn.

too much or too little weight gain during gestation is associated with a variety of birth complications.

Emotions: Recent studies also suggest that maternal emotions can have an impact on prenatal development. –> anxiety and depression in a pregnant woman can lead to increased prevalence of various behavioural problems in offspring

Question 16

Fetal Origins of Disease

Answer 16

Recently, researches have begun to explore the possible links between prenatal factors and adults physical and mental health. Recent evidence suggest that events during prenatal development can “program” the fetal brain in ways that influence one’s vulnerability to various types of illness decades later.